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WHEN cocaine fell from a drug dealer’s boxer shorts during a police strip search he made a very accurate prediction.
“Looks like I’m off to jail,” he said, and he was absolutely right.
At Gloucester Crown Court on October 6, Bailey Johnson, 20, of Moors Avenue, Cheltenham, was sentenced to 38 months in a young offender institution after he admitted three drug dealing offences over a period of three months.
Johnson pleaded guilty to being concerned with the supply of cannabis between April 27 and July 28 this year and being concerned in the supply of cocaine between April 23 and July 28.
Alex Small, prosecuting, said the first time Johnson came to police attention was when he was spotted with other known drug users “slouching very low in the back seat” of a Ford Focus car in Arle Road on May 1.
“He was searched and had £548.10 on him in various pockets, along with a quantity of cannabis. His phone was constantly going off with drug dealing text requests. He was later stripsearched and 27 wraps of cocaine fell from his boxer shorts to the floor.”
Bailed by police, Johnson was later arrested at a house in Princess Elizabeth Way after police saw a drug deal taking place on June 4, said Mr Small.
“The police said to Johnson ‘What are you up to?’ - at which he pushed the officer and bolted off. One of the officers gave chase and found Johnson’s slip-on shoes a short distance away.”
The police returned to the address at Scott House and found two bicycles, knives, a machete and a sword along with drug dealing paraphernalia the court heard. Mr Small said: “Johnson was seen on a third occasion on July 22 riding a freshly painted mountain bike on his way to make a drug deal. It was one of the bicycles spotted in the property on June 4.”
Aquantity of cannabis was found on him, along with cash, Mr Small told the court adding more cannabis was found at his home along with relevant paraphernalia for cooking cocaine and further quantity of cash.
Sarah Jenkins, defending, said: “Johnson accepts that he got into the world of drugs after he had dabbled with cannabis and cocaine as a teenager. It became a problem when he became addicted to crack cocaine six months before his first arrest.”
She added that he has abstained from drugs for the past few months and feels he is now in a better place.
Judge Mark Horton said: “While you may have been under pressure to pay back your own drug debt, it is extremely obvious that you were dealing in drugs.
The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all the drugs and relevant paraphernalia and the confiscation of £1,593.30 found on Johnson, which will be donated to the police’s drug prevention and detection programme and to pay a victim surcharge of £190.
The police said to Johnson ‘What are you up to?’ - at which he pushed the officer and bolted off. One of the officers gave chase and found Johnson’s slip-on shoes a short distance away.
Alex Small